Revealed
by Chibi-Zion
Summary: Au. Kigo, and Rosh. M. Last part of the Imperfect Balance Trilogy. Things are falling apart, and with Drakken's vow of revenge can they ever be alright again? Complete.
1. Mornings

Just wanting to say the story title just seemed appropriate after naming the first one 'Hidden'.

Oh, and all standard disclaimer stuff applies, as usual. If it ain't the plot, it probably ain't mind. Granted I will probably through some minor original characters in, but those are rides, or the like. Those I own. :P

Everything else belongs to their respective owners cause some other stuff might get used in this fan fiction, other than Kim Possible.

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Ron squirmed as a gentle nuzzling woke him. "Mmmmm…?"

"Ron…you got to get up…you're sleeping on my arm," It was Josh, who whispered in his ear.

"Not sleeping on your arm…it's sleeping under me…" Ron said it with a sleepy grin.

"Sweetie, seriously...I need my arm…" Josh nuzzled some more.

Ron obliged with a groan half rolling so that the other boy could free his arm.

"Thank-you sweetie." Josh climbed out of the bed, and began a search for his pants. He knew they were there somewhere.

"Leaving already?" Ron stretched and rolled onto his side, "It's only….wait what time is it?"

Josh looked up at the clock for a moment before returning to his search for his pants, "Almost eight. If I don't find my pants I'm going to be late for work."

Ron smiled softly, "On top of the computer, your shirt is at the foot of the bed."

Josh slipped the clothing on as he found it, "How is it you can do that, but you can't seem to keep track of your own stuff?"

Ron had a mysterious twinkle in his eye, "Because I have dumb skills. Though considering how you were biting the pillow last night I might just have mad skills."

Josh shook his head, "You're crazy you know that?"

"And that's why you like me so much."

Josh leaned over Ron, "No…not like, love." And he kissed him gently before leaving, "I promise to call right after work, okay?"

"Bye sweetie."

"Bye Mad Skills Boy."

"Yes…my super power is making Josh bite pillows with amazing accuracy!"

Josh shook his head and left.

Ron lay on the bed for a while before getting up. Saving the world made finding a normal job hard, if not impossible. As a result his summer days weren't as nearly as busy as Josh's, except when a mission came up.

Which despite the occasional action, his summer had been a bust.

Except for the time with Josh. Those moments had been literally some of the happiest moments in his life. He had a few others, but his top ten list was easily filled with Josh.

The boy's mind, his soul, his very nature had Ron begging for more. Not to mention the boy loved to take turns, which meant no one had to worry about getting tired of the same old thing.

Ron smiled a bit before crawling out of bed. He wasn't in any particular hurry right then. Kim had Shego now, which meant that his presence wasn't nearly as needed in her life. Once when it was him and Kim they had been each others entire lives, but with Kim and Shego together, things had changed.

He hadn't minded the change; it gave him more time to do his own thing.

This unfortunately had turned into him and Josh, or him doing nothing.

Only half of that was really a problem for him. He enjoyed the time with Josh. But he didn't enjoy the time spent staring at the ceiling.

Even Everlot didn't seem appealing anymore.

Ron shuffled downstairs and regarded the thought of food. It just didn't seem necessary.

Then again after his near complete unlocking of his abilities he had barely eaten, only slept after his more intimate time with Josh, and was rarely tired.

It was a blessing and a curse. It was good to know that he had his mastery of the art, but it drove him nuts to just sit around.

That meant a lot of meditating and meaningless cable.

Mostly meditating.

He sighed and settled down in his favorite spot on the couch and relaxed. He shut his eyes and connected to the universe.

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Kim woke up without opening her eyes and stretched, wrapping her arms around the sleeping woman next to her. The woman grunted and squirmed a little, but settled back down with a sigh.

"Shego…I think we need to start getting up."

"I no want to."

Kim nuzzled the woman, "What if I told you that I would like it a lot if you got up?"

"Pumpkin, no….Want sleep."

"Fine. We apparently can't stay up late having sex ever again."

Shego grumpily pouted as she started to get up, "Not fair…"

Kim sighed, "I know….but three in the afternoon is too late for us to keep sleeping too."

"Is it three now?"

Kim looked at the clock, "Worse…seven thirty."

Shego tried to look at the girl next to her, but it was difficult to do without opening her eyes. "Probably a good thing we decided to get a place…huh?"

Kim snickered, "Four hours is a little much…"

Shego stretched as she got out of the bed, "Only half is that my fault. You're like a horny little bunny sometimes."

Kim snickered as she made the bed, "Like you don't enjoy it."

"Not the point. I happen to enjoy it very much. But half that time was you."

"Well we could have had our romantic evening sooner, but there was another incident. Tokyo this time. Someone keeps stealing monkey artifacts."

Shego turned, "Mystical monkey artifacts?"

Kim shook her head, "Exactly my thought. Especially since Monkey Fist is in jail right now."

"You sure he shouldn't be in a zoo?"

Kim shrugged, "Personally I would have to agree with the idea…but he'd probably start a monkey revolution."

Shego nodded and managed to open her eyes, "So what's the plan?"

"Movie night?"

Shego grinned, "Action or slasher?"

"Uh…..I'd have to say action…something dark for a change."

Shego blinked, "I'm a little surprised Kimmie…you watch something were the hero dies?"

"Hey, even I need a nice slap of cold water to remind me of what can happen if I'm not careful."

"Now if I remember Pumpkin, sometimes the hero doesn't make any wrong moves, they just get stuck in an impossible to escape situation."

Kim nodded grimly, "I know."

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Author's Notes: And thus the ball has begun rolling! Chapter length isn't set, so don't expect FTE's eight pages, or even these four page bits. Every chapter is going to be as long as it needs to be for the part of the plot that it's covering.


	2. Blue Monkey Kung Fu

Despite all the research, all of the careful stealing and planning everything was still a shambles.

A method to defeat all of them was needed this time. Something perfect, and unstoppable. Something that could counter Monkey Kung Fu, the Green Glow, and Kim Possible's resourcefulness.

Everything would have to be done individually. A method for one wouldn't necessarily work on all three.

Yes that much was for sure now.

Nothing would stop this plan. Not when it was complete.

And then the world would bow in respect.

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Ron sighed as the universe separated itself from him again. He rather enjoyed feeling the very energy flowing through him, the strings of fate twisting as he ran a mental finger down them.

But this time there had been something darker. Something like a barbed cord running through as well.

And whatever it had been was not good.

He slid off the couch and padded into the kitchen. Food would take his mind off of things. An advantage of still living at home was the never having to buy food.

But it made personal time with Josh harder to achieve at times. Ron suspected that his parents knew, and were denying it as long as they didn't see it.

After all he spent more time with Josh than he had ever spent with Kim.

He turned the stove on and set a skillet down. A crepe would be perfect. The light flavor and texture would be distracting enough.

So he set to work.

His mind started to wander as he mixed the batter. To Rufus. To that little Naked Mole Rat he had held so dear.

The cancer had been in remission for a month and a half before it came back. It had struck harder and faster this time, and it was too much for Ron to watch the little guy suffer again.

So Rufus had been, as the polite way of saying it goes, put to sleep.

Being responsible for his best friend's death was hard. He had bought, and raised Rufus from a very young age. And the little guy had rocked.

And he was gone.

Three months and Ron still found himself crying whenever it came to mind. Three months and he was still mourning. It was alright though. Mourning was natural. It was necessary.

He sniffled as he fought back the tears, and pour the batter slowly. He could cry later, right now he was cooking, and that meant it wasn't time to cry.

He had felt the presence before he saw the person. He set the bowl aside and flipped the burner to off before turning around.

"Stoppable."

"Drakken. So they let you out on good behavior?"

"Actually they let me out because I leveled the prison."

Ron wasn't worried. He had taken the doctor on before. He could take him again. "So what do you want?"

"I want to propose a proposition. You never do Monkey Kung Fu again, and I take over the world. How's that sound?"

"Nuts." Ron slid into the stance that was beyond second nature. It was easier to do than breathing now. He had become a master, and he was ready to remind Drakken of that.

Drakken swung clumsily at Ron who twisted to the side and grabbed the doctor's coat, bringing him to Ron's face.

"I think I'll just put you in a body cast this time…how's that sound?"

Something cool and smooth had slid around Ron's wrist with a click.

"I think I might do the same to you."

Ron's grip slipped as he dropped to his knees. His body was on fire as he clutched his chest in pain.

"Like it? I found the best way to deal with the mystical was with the mystical. The Ivory Monkey Bracer is now a part of you. And that bracer blocks all Monkey Kung Fu, and all of its powers." Drakken was smug. Too smug.

Ron coughed violently, trying to breathe.

"I'm actually surprised Fiske never used it on you."

Ron managed to get his breathing under control and looked at his arm. Where the object had been attached had been change. A complex design of runes, and symbols traveled half way up his forearm. If it wasn't for that it was a cursed object, he would have thought it looked cool.

The blonde slowly slipped to his feet, "It doesn't mean I can't still hurt you." He slipped into a classic fighter's stance. "Besides, when did you start believing in the mystical?"

"You try sharing a cell with Fiske and tell me." Drakken was assuming his own stance.

A stance that looked clumsy, but remarkably like Monkey Kung Fu.

Ron swallowed and struck with a right hook, bringing his body around with a stomp from his right foot.

The stomp didn't even distract Drakken, and the punch was countered by a shot to the boy's midsection.

Ron doubled over in pain. This wasn't happening. He wasn't losing. Pure determination forced him up. Pride was driving him now. He wasn't losing to Drakken. He couldn't. He swung again, this time driving his knee at the doctor.

A palm strike to the center of his chest dropped him.

Fiske had been practicing in his cell. And Drakken had watched, and practiced what he saw. He didn't have the agility, or the power that Fiske had, but he could take a less than averagely strong human.

And he was proving it.

Ron could feel the blood trickle down the back of his neck. It was a matter of live and death now. And he wasn't sure which he was going to get.

-------------------

Kim's Kimmunicator beeped, effectively killing the mood. She had been engrossed in Shego's arms, her lips, her body, but the ringing of the object ruined the moment. With a growl she grabbed the object off the night stand and answered.

"What's the sitch Wade?"

"Hummina…hummina..." His eyes went saucer-like as he was stared in shock.

"Kimmie….you're naked remember?" Shego whispered helpfully.

Kim blushed as she realised her nudity, "Wade, quit staring at my chest and tell me what's up. And if you break eye contact, you're dead. Got it?"

Wade nodded meekly. "It's Ron…he's hurt pretty bad..."

Kim paled, "How bad?"

"He has four broken ribs, and ended up with seven stitches on his head."

"What happened?"

Wade sighed, "Mystic Monkey Issues. Apparently Drakken is getting more insane. No goons, no plots, just showed up in Ron's house and attacked him."

"But…Ron's near invincible…" Kim couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Kim, you just said it yourself, _near_ invincible. I'm not sure how Ron's abilities work, but apparently Drakken found a way to block them. Kind of like how the Jade Monkey worked on you."

"Any idea what it was?"

Wade sighed, "An ivory bracer. And we can't get it off because it's bonded with him…"

"Jade Amulet style?"

Wade nodded, "Exactly. And we still don't know what Drakken is up too."

Kim sighed, "Thanks Wade…I'll talk to Ron later…." She clicked the Kimmunicator off and slouched against the bed. "This is insane…how…Ron…"

A pair of arms slid around Kim, "I don't know….and honestly I think it's fucked up. We'll figure it out though. We'll figure it out and stop the bastard."

Kim nodded. Finding Drakken would be impossible until they had an idea what he was up to. And then they would stop him.

And this time it was beyond personal.

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Author's Notes: And Chapter Two is ended. Granted Wade doesn't like the whole "magic" thing in the series, I think he could handle it if he had no way to deny it. Or something. : P


	3. Code Names

One was taken care of. At least as long as they didn't discover the way to remove the bracer that was. That left the women of green and red.

The one of tactic and the other of glow.

Yes, he would conquer them as well. That much was sure.

Then he'd break their souls for what they did.

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Ron groaned as he reclined in the hospital bed. He honestly didn't believe he belonged there, but he found himself sitting there all the same wondering at what had happened.

Drakken had disabled his Mystic Monkey Powers. Not to mention proceeded to beat the life out of him.

The man had stopped after the ribs snapped though, and left. He didn't gloat, or even give a wise-crack. He just left.

That made Ron confused. Drakken was all about the grand schemes, the gloating and the glory.

But he wasn't like himself. In fact he seemed less like himself than he had the previous time they had met.

It seemed after Shego had left the man, his sanity had as well.

Could it be that Shego was an emotional ballast for Drakken as Ron had used to be for Kim?

The blonde scratched his head, and winced as he brushed the stitches on the back. He was going to need to think about this a lot more carefully. And with a lot less rubbing of his wounds.

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It was stressful to have to wait to see Ron. Shego found herself bouncing her foot up and down in anticipation, the beat matching Kim's footsteps as the girl doubled back in her groove that she was wearing in the floor as she paced. Josh was coming as soon as he got off of work as well, which was still a few hours form then.

A nurse approached the two cautiously. Both had been frequent visitors at various points since their becoming a couple, and the nurse knew all too well the damage they could produce.

Or rather the damage that Shego would produce if she was in enough pain. The woman had needed stitches, and had gotten them. Unfortunately she had destroyed a few things from the flaming hands clenching objects, at least until Kim had the woman crush her hands instead.

The doctors were still baffled why the energy that could wreck steel didn't even do as much as singe the red head.

"Ummm…Miss…Possible and Miss Go…?"

Kim stopped in mid-step, and turned, as Shego looked over, foot bouncing paused in mid bounce.

"Yes?" The answer was instant, and came from both women at once.

"You…you can visit your friend now."

It was hard to tell who had moved quicker, but both women raced past the nurse. They had been waiting to see him for a while now, and they weren't going to let a few 'No Running' signs stop them.

The nurse nearly fainted in relief.

Shego beat Kim to the door by a fraction of a second. The two stood there panting heavily as they tried to catch their breathe. Then they went in.

Ron was reading a magazine when they came in, or rather was pretending to as he tried to think. He found the tactic kept the nurses from checking to see if he had passed out as often.

"Alright Stoppable, how in the hell did you get your ass kicked?"

Ron raised his right arm weakly, showing off the intricate design that looked almost like a tattoo, "Drakken had my number. Granted I still got dumb skills, but those can't beat off Monkey Kung Fu."

"Wait," Kim interrupted, "Since when does Drakken know Monkey Kung Fu?"

"Since he apparently had roomed with Monkey Fist. He's not great at it, but he has enough down to kick my ass." He sighed and looked at his blanket covered feet, "Face it…I fucked up. I deserve it after all the crap I gave him…"

He heard it before he felt the sting from the slap. Shego stood over him trembling.

"I deserved that too…"

"Damn it Ron! You don't deserve to be horribly beaten. That's just ridiculous!"

Ron looked at the red head, sorrow in his eyes, "The man and I used to have a pretty good bond, despite the opposite sides of the law. Creepy right? Well you have to remember that Christmas we where both of us had ended up stranded up in the frozen north. That's not the first time he and I made a truce for Christmas' sake…and I completely dishonored that fact when I had last ran into him."

Shego ground her teeth as she tried not to smack the boy, "The man was trying to KILL us. It's not a big deal to consider that he might have, I don't know, _deserved_ it?"

Ron avoided her stare, "I don't know…I really don't."

Silence fell over the room, and Kim knew it was time to go, and led Shego outside.

"Damn that idiot!" Shego put a glowing fist through the wall immediately outside. "Drakken doesn't deserve to breathe anymore…."

Kim pulled her lover along with her, "Come on; let's find some place private so we can talk."

Some place private ended up being their home.

Shego flopped on the couched with a scowl and tried to avoid the problem, but couldn't as Kim sat down next to her.

"Drakken promised never to tamper with anything that had to do with my genes, powers, or me in general. Now counting off hand here, he copied my powers, made Synthdrones that stole as well as I can, not to mention the who kidnapping you the first time. I don't think he deserves the electrical charge in his brain anymore, much less life."

Kim hugged Shego, "That was the creepiest, but in a way, sweetest thing you've said about me. Though I want to agree with you, we can't kill him."

"Pumpkin, he even looks at you funny and there is going to be blue goo where that man used to be."

"Awwwww…" Kim nuzzled the woman gently.

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Drakken scratched his chin as he stared at his white board. He had made a list of everything that had failed to work on Kim Possible.

He also had a list of the things that worked against the girl. Ideas that had her cut off from support double backed, or even triple backed on themselves. Ideas that were too complex to just react to. Yes, he had discovered her weakness.

He would exploit in this time for sure. The girl had a strong spirit, but a weak heart. And that was what he was going use to break her. Yes, he wouldn't fail this time.

And he smiled as he set to work.

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Kim hadn't been able to sleep for three days.

Three nerve straining days.

"Damn it Pumpkin, you need to sleep." Shego wrapped her arms around the girl gently, "Come on…bed…now."

Kim knew the last part was more of a command, than a request, but she ignored it. "I can't Shego. Drakken is up to something…he was the one who stole those artifacts until he found the one he was looking for. Twenty-seven different artifacts in a month. Even Monty Fiske wasn't that bad. And now…I don't know what he's up to, but I'm going to find out…and I'm going to stop him."

Shego sighed, "You haven't left this computer for more than five minutes. Hell, you've only eaten two meals, I should know, I'm the one putting away the plates I've been making you."

"I can eat later."

Shego grabbed her own wrists and hoisted the girl out of the chair by her armpits, "No, you're going to eat now, and then you're getting some sleep. I can look for weird thefts and anything else while you're sleeping."

"But-"

"No buts. That's final, or I'm telling your mother on you."

Kim pouted, "That's pretty low."

"And desperate on my part. She'll skin me alive if I let anything happen to you, and you know it. So you better cooperate, or you're going to be short on me."

Kim sighed and went limp, "Alright. But you got to promise me you'll wake me up the minute you find something."

"Only if you don't complain next time I refuse to buy beef."

Kim pouted. She honestly couldn't understand the woman's issue with red meat, but she caved. "Fine. But you can't cop out on chicken."

"Fair enough."

Shego set the girl down in the kitchen and watched to make sure she picked out an actual meal out of the leftovers. She only left after she was sure Kim ate all of it. Even though the girl tried to escape the broccoli, by acting like she was choking on it. The ruse didn't work on Shego though.

Shego sat down in front of the computer after spending twenty minutes tucking Kim in, and reassuring the girl that she would wake her if anything came up.

Three hours of not finding anything despite how she searched had Shego exhausted. She couldn't understand how Kim had done it for three days. She was struggling to keep her eyes open over the short amount of time as it was.

Which meant she needed to try something a little more…unorthodox.

It meant firing it up again.

It took a few minutes of digging in the closet to find it. It was smooth and black, and the keys inside where a gentle green. It had been unintentional, but the color pattern had pleased Shego.

She dragged the old laptop back into the living room and turned it on. She had promised herself that she wasn't going to use it again, that it was just a keep sake of her old days. That had changed though. Just like they always did.

The system came up with an apple logo. It wasn't really a product of the famous company, and the loading animation quickly showed that as a cobra came out of the fruit, and wrapped around it.

Shego shook her head with a grim smile, the animation always annoyed her.

Once it had loaded she set to work, opening a simple applet, and typing away.

Username: Green Eyes

Password:

….

….

Identification confirmed.

Dialing….

….

…

--Connection Established--

Green Eyes: Anyone online?

Villainous Code: Ahhh…yes…long time no see. What brings you back?

Green Eyes: Well I need some information.

Villainous Code: But I heard you were out of the game.

Green Eyes: This is more important than the game. More important the code, more important than your life itself.

Villainous Code: I beg your pardon, but I happen to value my life very much.

Green Eyes: Blue Man Group is up to something that breaks the rules. I have a feeling he wants to kill the Flame.

Villainous Code: But that goes against the code itself! A villain is only supposed to be life threatening, not murderous.

Green Eyes: He's already taken out Sidekick.

Villainous Code: Really now?

Green Eyes: Don't even think of planning anything. I will personally blow your heart out myself.

Villainous Code: That my dear is completely unethical.

Green Eyes: Ethics aren't the point right now. I need to know what Blue Man Group is up to…where he's hiding.

Villainous Code: I'll do some looking into it, but I can't promise anything. I'll email you as soon as I have anything.

Green Eyes: Thanks old timer.

--Connection Terminated—

Shego sighed as she stared at the window. The old guy would be useful, with his resources, but she wasn't sure how well she could trust Senor Senior Sr. Granted the man was more about the code than about actually being evil and the latest news would have upset him…But it didn't mean he wouldn't act on it.

Or spread it. Shego chewed on her lip nervously. This whole thing was turning into one giant problem.

She would just have to cross her fingers and wait for news from the old man. Hopefully without any surprises from any of the other problem children out there.

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Author's Notes: And thus we end Chapter Three! I personally enjoy the chat room touch, and may bring that back later or at least use it in another storyline.

On a side note, I'd really love it if you folks reading this would kick back some feedback. There are a pretty good number of you out there, and it's sad to think that I can't get a single review from any of you. Pretty much any input is good, even if you don't like the story. Then I know people actually have opinions about my work of something. :P


	4. Cast Iron Memories

It had taken a week of careful planning, and it would take even more careful execution for the plan to work. Yes, it was ready.

Now he just needed the right…bait.

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Kim kept sleeping regularly only because of Shego's nagging to do so. That much the woman was sure of. It was the same way with eating too. The red head was stubborn, but gave into Shego's demands readily.

It was a week before Shego had gotten a reply from Senor Senior Sr. It was short and didn't hold much in the way of information.

It simply just read:

_You were right. I'm not sure of the exact plans he had for her, but Blue Man Group is on the move. Be careful, I fear the worst._

Shego didn't show the message to Kim, the girl was hardly sleeping when she did, and only ate enough to pass as a meal. She was barely living, and Shego knew why.

Despite it all, Kim had a fondness for her sidekick. Ron had been her best friend for over thirteen years, and that meant a lot to the girl.

Enough in fact that she went into a mode of barely living to try and track down Drakken. She spent hours looking over various search results, power grid readings, even ill-gotten Time Share Lair account information. If it was possible to get a hold of, she got it.

Shego admired her lover's spirit. It was one of the many things that kept reminding her why the girl drove her wild, out side of the bed as well as in it.

Shego on the other hand kept pouring through every resource she had through the coveted laptop. Nothing had come out of it, even counting the message she had received.

Which was not good news; if the old man's resources couldn't find out what Drakken was doing, no one could.

Shego lay in the bed, and tried to think. She needed some sleep, so she could trade off with Kim, but it wasn't coming to her.

She just had too many questions.

"Fucking a."

"Shego, I heard that!"

"I could guess Pumpkin. I said it loud enough."

"Get some sleep! You promised you would!"

Shego sighed, "Alright! Alright! I will."

She wouldn't though, not for another hour as she tried to piece together what exactly was going on.

Her sleep was restless and only lasted for a couple of hours before she was awake again.

Something was wrong. It was quite in the house. Even in the past week Kim had music playing as she worked. Now there was silence.

Hands a glow Shego treaded downstairs barefoot. It wasn't her usual clothing she wore for a fight, but the pajamas would have to do.

She relaxed when she saw the red head passed out at the computer.

Shego calmly sauntered into the kitchen and set about making a light snack to tide her over until breakfast.

Something struck out from behind her though and the world went dark.

------------------

It was hard to move at first as she came too. The floor beneath her was cold and hard. Her vision focused as she slid to her feet.

Yes something was definitely wrong now. She was still barefoot in her pajamas, but she was no longer in the kitchen, much less in her own house.

She was in a cube encased in some kind of shifting clear material that shimmered.

"You like it?" She turned behind her and spotted Drakken behind her, outside of the shimmering material. "I built it especially for you. Completely harmless to air, but it is completely immune to all of your little powers."

"What'd you hit me with?"

"You like that? It was one of your skillets. I think it was the cast iron one…then again I wasn't being too picky."

Shego shook her head, freeing it from the last of the cobwebs, "How in the hell did a spaz like you sneak up on me?"

Drakken smiled, "Tut tut Shego. No name calling. The Monkey Kung Fu I learned from watching Fisk as proved useful. Though that time it was actually a different technique…I folded space time…"

"Wait a minute…how in the fucking hell did you fold space time without destroying the universe?"

The blue man grinned, "It was remarkably easy to do once I generated the right concentration of dark matter."

Shego shook her head. The method was preposterous to say, but apparently that hadn't stopped the man from doing it.

"That is beside the point Shego! For now that I have you, Kim Possible is bound to come to me."

Shego couldn't help but smile, "She wanted a piece of you as it is. You are now fucking done for doc."

The smile she got was confident. Too confident for Shego.

"No. No, I believe she is this time."

Shego's smile faded as he began his evil cackle.

A silent prayer was all she could manage to summon herself to say.

"May God help us all…"

------------------

Kim slowly and groggily came to. She blinked as her eyes came too, and stared at the computer. All of her search material was closed save for one.

It was a simple message in a text program.

"'Stop me if you can.'" Kim read it to herself again, then once more. With a raised eyebrow she grabbed the Kimmunicator and hit the call button.

Wade came up on the screen. Dark circles from his own searching showed he had done very little sleeping.

"Hey Kim…sorry…no news."

Kim bit her lip, "Wade…can you do me a quick favor?"

Wade nodded slowly, "Sure."

"Can you tell me if my computer has been tampered with…you know, hacked, a worm or anything hit it…?"

Wade nodded and started typing, it was slower than his normal speed, but he still managed to produce quick results. "Nothing. Though I love that 'hidden' folder of you and Shego."

"If that ends up on your hard drive so help me-"

"Easy Kim! I thought I was making it up…Jesus…"

"Oh…sorry Wade…forget you ever heard about it then…and go get some sleep, okay?"

Wade nodded, "Alright….just….yeah…I swear I'm going to die of a heart attack before I'm twenty."

Kim shook her head and killed the connection. If it wasn't an infiltration, then how had the message appeared on her system?

She noticed it had a scroll bar active and scrolled down, and nearly died of shock.

Typed out, just like the address on a letter was an address. Well save for a missing zip code.

"Shego and Drakken…556 Evil Place…Kansas?"

Kim slowly got up, and walked to the stairs, "Shego? You awake?" Not hearing a response she walked up the stairs and stopped at the top. The bed was empty and hadn't been made since its last occupant had gotten out of it.

"Shego…?"

------------------

The phone rang, and Ron answered with his usual sense of wit.

"Ron's meat packing plant. You smack it, we pack it."

There was not laughter, not even a 'Shut-up Stoppable' from the other end. Then he heard the sound of light sobbing.

"Hello?"

"R-Ron…Shego's missing."

"I'm on my way KP." There was no more that had to be said. It was all that was needed to make Ron worry.

Shego had stuck close to Kim since they became a couple, and refused to be parted more than a few hours.

This had made it a really big challenge on the woman's birthday to make it a surprise.

It had almost failed too, but Kim had convinced the woman to go out with Monique and go shopping by resorting to her pout.

Shego caved instantly.

Ron winced slightly from his hurting ribs as he bent over and kissed the sleeping boy on the forehead. Josh was used to Ron disappearing at strange times for missions, and would forgive him for this too.

He fought back a shiver and slipped outside. The night air was cool, even in the summer. But he could worry about that later. He started his scooter and started down the road toward Kim's house.

------------------

"Wait…you're telling me that instead of capturing Kimmie, you left her there to GUESS what happened to me?"

Drakken nodded, "Ingenious isn't it? With her trying to figure out where you are, I can finish my latest project."

"It's not another laser is it?"

Drakken rolled his eyes, "I'm not a hack Shego. It's much better. It's a black hole."

Shego shook her head. She couldn't believe the ignorance of the man. "So you're telling me that you're going to throw my girlfriend into a black hole?"

"No, she's going to jump in."

Shego could feel the familiar signs of a migraine forming. It was that shifting material that kept Drakken from certain death, and he knew it. "Why in the hell would she jump in?"

"To save you."

It made sense. It a screwed up round about way the simplicity of the plan actually made sense.

"I hate you so much right now."

"Good, then we're on the road to being even."

Shego could have killed him right there. Kim wanting him alive or not. "_Even?_ You want to talk about _even?_ You've used someone I love against me, and tried to kill us both. You've copied my powers, not to mention those damned syndrome thieves of yours that mimic my style."

Drakken shrugged, "You started it when you left my employment for that bitch."

It was hard to describe how furious Shego was. "Don't you call her that!" Her fist engulf itself and she swung.

And met the shifting material.

The feedback made her hair stand on end as she was blown to the floor, coughing.

"I told you I designed this for you. Don't worry…we'll have lots of fun waiting for that whore of a lover of yours to show up."

Shego could only cough up one word. But it was enough for now. "Bastard."

------------------

Author's Notes: And the plot thickens! Will Kim find Drakken and stop him in time? Or will she be doomed to be crushed to infinite singularity inside of a black hole? Is Shego truly powerless in the confines of her new prison? How will Ron fair without his abilities? And why am I asking all these questions?

Find out more in the next chapter!


	5. Encouraging Nonsense

Shego paced her cell nervously. Drakken had given up trying to talk to her and settled into working on his black hole generator.

Every time she looked over to where he was working she stopped and forced herself to close her eyes and count. It didn't help calm her nerves, or her anger, and she started to regard the idea of trying a more drastic approach to hurting him.

But that would require escape first. She sighed and regarded the shifting material that stood between her and the blue man who was happily humming as he worked.

Punching it was a bad idea, or maybe the glow was the problem. She chewed her lip as she tried to think. Guessing wasn't going to get her free. It was time to be logical and scientific.

It was time to think logically. She sighed and regarded the idea with contempt. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was her only option.

-------------------

Kim was quickly wearing a trench in the floor with her pacing. Ron had given up a long time ago in trying to calm the red head down. She was worried, and if pacing franticly helped her think, much less stay calm, why stop her?

He looked at the message carefully. It was simple and straightforward. Which mean it had to be a trick. Or a trap. Or a trap-trap. He frowned and hoped it wasn't a triple-trap-trap as he read it again.

Drakken had managed to ghost Shego out of a locked house with no forced entry.

For a mad man he was definitely on top of his game.

The boy chewed his lip. He could ask Josh's advice, but the boy had no experience with Drakken, much less with what the man could do.

Then again the kid was a genius of a special kind. In a natural, almost beautiful way the boy's mind could work logically, yet he wasn't lost from his own feelings.

Ron sighed happily as he thought about Josh. The boy's mind, his smooth skin, his gentle smile…

A pinch to the back of his neck corrected his train of thought as Kim stood over him. "Ron…it's nice to see that you're enjoying yourself…." She trailed off and chewed her lip nervously.

"Kim…you know what I just noticed?"

"What?"

He made a silent prayer to the gods that his random nature could be distracting long enough to confuse Kim. "You and Shego both chew on your lips when you're nervous."

"We…do?"

"Not only that…but ever look at your name? Kim Possible. Sounds a lot like the word impossible right? But what you do isn't impossible at all. Anyone really could do what you do, if they REALLY tried."

Kim faltered, "Ron…where is this going?"

Ron continued like he hadn't been slowed down, "Now look at my name. Ron Stoppable. Sounds very similar to unstoppable. Yet I've been beaten down more times than I can count, not to mention _Drakken_ stole my ability to actually kick ass. Drakken. The man can't seem to build a doomsday device to save his own life, but he manages to kick my ass just fine."

Kim blinked, trying to figure out where it was all going.

"Kim…you do the seemingly impossible everyday. You are dating a very good looking female who happens to spawn glowing energy around her hands at will. Energy that you've never seemed to get hurt by. You are a force of nature when you want to be. Now for the love of god woman THINK!"

"Th-think?"

Ron nodded, "Shego had to have –something- from her old life. –Something- that we can use to see how safe it is to deal with Drakken. We're possibly facing the most dangerous mission yet. Even more dangerous then those mutant rabbits."

"The flesh eating ones…?"

Ron nodded, "So you figure out what might help us, okay?"

Kim nodded, and walked away feeling very confused, but very powerful too.

-------------------

Shego gave up on watching the material. Even in its swirling state it never got thicker or thinner anywhere.

Gingerly she reached out and touched it. It felt as if she had placed her finger of wet glass and slowly dragged it.

So touch didn't activate the shock.

She squeezed her eyes shut and called forth her glow, igniting her hand.

Nothing. The material didn't even sway. The energy produced didn't even dent the material. The shimmering just swirled faster beneath her finger.

That left one option.

She let the glow go out and drew back her hand, and expected the worst and she drove it forward in a palm strike.

The burst of energy knocked her on her back again. Smoke was coming off her this time.

_Kinetic energy…that's what triggered it….Guess my glow actually saved me earlier._ Shego rolled on her side. She knew what triggered the material that kept her prisoner. The question was how to escape it.

-------------------

Kim wandered in circles, trying to think. There had to be something useful that Shego had left. Something that they could use to find out what she knew before she had vanished. There had to be something, anything.

Ron leaned on the doorway to the kitchen, phone next to his ear. It was risky calling Josh at work, but the boy had managed to squeeze out a small break, despite working at a daycare.

"That's all we got. Shego's missing, Drakken left a note, and according to Wade there is no sign of how it happened."

The sound of Josh thinking could be heard over the phone, "And you're worried that Drakken has some kind of trap planned, right?"

"Worse…I'm worried his going to kill Kim."

Ron twisted the phone cord around his finger as he waited.

"Well you've got two options…rush in blindly, or let me help."

Ron winced, "But your job!"

"Sweetie, I know they'll understand. I'm useless around here if I'm worried about you, and they let me have some time off."

"Are you sure?"

Ron could hear the smile, "Positive. Besides, Karen owes me for that day I spent cleaning up after the pudding war."

"Alright…if you're sure…"

"I am. Love you and see you soon."

"Love you too…bye."

-------------------

Drakken loved his latest project. His only disappointment was that he had only managed to fold space-time once, counting the to and return trips as half, respectively. But the dark matter generator he was using had shorted out, and the parts fused. It had taken him months to make that one, and simply just didn't have time to make another. He had wanted to get the Josh boy too. Kim Possible had emotional ties to the boy, not to mention there was something strange in how the bastard acted around him as well.

Yes…the bastard. He had enjoyed beating him…feeling the boy's body beneath him like a wet sack. But he couldn't push himself too far.

No, the boy had to be alive. Someone had to focus Kim Possible enough to direct her in the right direction. To make sure she waited long enough to "plan". It didn't matter how well she planned really, either way she would be facing the same fate.

The fate of having the very universe weighing down on her.

-------------------

Kim paused in mid-step. She had it. She knew she wasn't supposed to, but she had the answer.

She raced up the spiral staircase to her room, and dug under the bed. Shego had tucked her in, and thought she had fallen asleep. But she had been faking it so she could do a little thinking.

And that's how she had seen it. The laptop.

She dug around, hoping it was still there and nearly screamed in joy as she found it. She pulled it out and hugged it tightly. It smelled like Shego, and it took everything the girl had not to cry.

She walked down the stairs slowly, clutching the portable computer tightly. It was her hope to know what had happened to Shego.

And maybe find a way to save her.

-------------------

Author's Notes: And thus we end Chapter Five.


	6. Gordian Code

Josh sat in front of the laptop, skimming over its contents as Wade looked into it from a remote link through the Kimmunicator. They had been trying to unlock its mysteries, and only could manage to launch solitaire. Everything else on the computer was under some sort of password protection, one that had Wade running in circles trying to crack.

Needless to say the boy super-genius was frustrated with the machine and was plotting various things he'd like to do to it.

"Hey Wade…maybe the password is something more personal to Shego…." It was a bit of a long shot, but things like money and power weren't the things Shego cared about. It was obvious the woman enjoyed such things, but she other things she cared about more in the world. Not to mention the password that kept them from finding anything had nothing to do with earthly goods.

Wade tapped his keyboard as he thought. He wasn't really typing, just tapping his fingertips on the keys. The gentle rhythm was relaxing and helped him think. "You mean something like Kim…?"

Josh nodded, "Makes sense to me. Passwords are often secret, and it makes sense that she'd pick something that no one else would think of."

Wade nodded, "It'd be a lot easier to figure out the password than decrypt her system. It's got a level of encryption that makes me think of a Gordian Knot of code."

"I have no idea what that is, but it sounds very cool and frustrating. So let's start from the top…Know any of Shego's pet names for Kim?" The idea was a long shot, but it was a good place to start.

"Well…there's Kimmie." It was obvious, but a perfect starting point in the list.

"Nope." Josh shook his head.

"Pumpkin?"

"No good." Again the head shook.

"Kitten?"

"I'm not sure I want to know…" Thrice his head shook.

"Shego uses it on Kim sometimes…"

"Do I want to know how you know this?" Josh's curiosity was perked at the nickname.

"Shego was drunk and filmed some things."

Josh raised an eyebrow, "For your sake I hope said things are innocent in nature, or else they'll kill you. Anymore?"

"Eternal Mistress of Lust and Desire?"

"I'm going to go ahead and assume they forgot to hang-up properly one night?"

Wade smirked, "Something like that."

"You need to get out more you little pervert….and nope…too long."

"Wait…what's the password limit?" Wade was tapping again.

"…Eight characters."

Wade muttered to himself as he counted, "Princess."

"You sound a little scary confident." Josh typed it in, and to his surprise the system accepted it. "We're good to go! You're pretty good for a peeping tom."

"And you're pretty good for a daycare worker."

Josh chuckled, "I love the young ones. They're just so cute; unless they have pudding." He shuddered a little as he spoke.

"I'll take your word for it." Wade looked disturbed by the thought of hyper little people anywhere near his person.

Josh continued to scan about the computer, casually poking at anything the password worked on, as Wade probed with his new access.

"Josh…I found something…"

"What is it?"

"Chat logs." The folder popped up onto the screen as Wade provided them.

Josh clicked on the one dated most recently and skimmed through it, "Not good at all…looks like someone was a little off on who Drakken was after."

Wade nodded, "Plus this computer has nothing to do with any of Drakken's lairs." The boy was silent as he looked at the address on his screen. "I don't even think we've ever dealt with this location."

Josh leaned back, running his fingers through his hair. "What if it's not a lair?"

"That's just crazy, Drakken always uses a lair. Even when he made his first Synthdrones, it was in a mobile lair."

Josh held up a hand, "Think about it. He's off his rocker, as you've put it, he's trying to exact revenge, and he's in hiding. Now if that was you, would you be in a lair?"

Wade was silent. For once in his life there was a chance he was wrong. He winced inside at the idea. "I see your point. I'll dig up what I can on this address…The Pentagon won't mind if I borrow a recon satellite or two for the job."

"Just don't get caught kid."

Wade grinned, "Please. I don't get caught. I love to make them chase themselves for a couple of extra hours after I leave the system. Hell I do it every weekend."

Josh shook his head, "Remind me never to tell you where I bank."

-------------------

Shego sat down in her cell. She had to rest up for what she was going to do. If not the drain could put her into shock and her escape attempt would be useless.

She closed her eyes and began to work on clearing her mind and relaxing.

_Kim…don't come…it's not safe…_

Shego wasn't sure if her silent prayer could be heard by her lover, but she hoped it was. For Kim's sake.

-------------------

Ron rubbed his wrist for what had to have been the twentieth time in ten minutes. It bothered him to see the design. It was hauntingly beautiful, but at the same time, it made him shiver when he saw it.

He hated it.

He hated it for being there. For taking away what was his source of strength. For making him weak. For making him human.

Hell, he even hated it for the simple pleasure of hating it.

And he hated Drakken for doing it most of all.

"Hey Ron…" Kim slid down on the stairs next to him. "You okay?"

"I'm fine Kim…you?"

"Good."

There was a small silence between them as they avoided each other's eyes.

"We're both horrible liars aren't we?" It was almost a whisper.

Kim nodded, "The worst."

Ron ran his fingers over the design, trying to find some proof that it wasn't in his skin; that it could just be taken back off again. "I hate this thing. I hate Drakken. But mostly I hate myself."

"Ron…"

"No, Kim…I hate myself. I was strong, I could have stopped him. But I was cocky, and he pulled a fast one on me. I was prideful, and this bracer is my cross to bear because of it."

"Ron…Stop. One more thing about hating yourself and I slap you."

Ron looked hurt, but stopped.

"We can't go blaming ourselves right now. We make mistakes because we're human. We need to get up, dust ourselves off, and kick some ass doing it."

Ron smiled weakly, "You're just trying to make me feel better."

"You did it for me all the time…about time I returned the favor."

"Kim…do you think that we could have ever worked as a couple?"

"Hell no monkey boy. I'm sorry but male bits aren't that appealing to me." Kim tried not to make a face as she said it. It was a slight exaggeration of course. She didn't like male bits at all. Males were nice, but their parts freaked her out a little.

Though that probably stemmed from being brain-switched with Ron. She mentally sighed as she remembered it. It was yet another of Drakken's amazing failures. She pushed the thought away and looked over with a weak smile at Ron.

A lopsided grin crept onto Ron's face, "Well some of us like them very much."

"That's because you're a very strange little boy Stoppable."

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"Kim…that sounded a lot like what Shego would say."

Kim blushed, the red matching her hair. "I guess she's rubbing off on me."

"Don't you mean rubbing you off?"

Kim smirked, "Not always…sometimes I do the rubbing." She put on her best poker face as she smirked at him.

Ron was thoughtful for a moment, "Well I'd hope so. After all is she's the only one doing any work all the time it'd get boring." He had that smile. The smile that said he knew what he was talking about a lot better than he should of.

"Ron…let's pretend that little conversation never happened…it's getting creepy."

-------------------

Drakken checked the circuitry again. It was his fifth trial run on ten percent power, and the device kept shorting out.

"It has to be the low current…I designed this thing to run at maximum power and produce one good sized black hole…Granted it's only temporary, but the Black Hole Generator is perfect…it's artificially produced gravitational field will be so powerful that even Kim Possible can not escape!" He smiled to himself, yes, he just needed to replace the damaged parts, and it'd be ready, he was sure of it.

Now he just needed Kim Possible…and his…assistant and everything would be good.

-------------------

Wade sighed, he had triple checked the address to the images the satellite fed back, and shook his head.

"I can't believe it."

The image was a small house and garage. It was nestled inside of gated community especially for people with shady pasts.

"I can't believe it." It was hard to get used to the thought that Drakken wasn't hiding in a lair, and inside of a place where he would belong. But it was worse to realize the truth. He was wrong.

"Wade, what are you rambling about?"

It was Josh over the display on Wade's desk.

"Nothing…nothing…" He started typing. He needed blueprints, phone taps, anything and everything that he could bring under his power. Shock for being wrong could come later. Right now it was the time for action.

"Drakken, it's God calling. And you've been very naughty." Wade smiled as things started to fall into place.

-------------------

Author's Notes: Short and VERY dialogue-y. Oh well. It bridges some stuff, and brings out the characters some more. Especially Wade, seeing as I avoid expanding on his character most of the time.

I'd like to point out I do seeing someone like Wade having a bit of a God-complex. Why? Because he creates, he destroys, he damned near omnipotent with his computer access, and he grants requests almost like prayers to the faithful the members of Team Possible that trust him so much.

Heck I'd have a God-complex in that situation.


	7. Secret Boxes

There were two things Kim didn't want to do when she found out that Drakken had been pinned down. The first was sleep. Fatigue wasn't a problem, Shego in the hands of a particular blue man she wanted to tear a limb off of and beat with the wet end, was. The second was waiting for the ride Wade arranged.

She could have left. She had a driver's license, and Shego's car was still in the driveway. She could be there before their ride arrived.

Nobody agreed with that idea though.

Ron actually had made a point of Kim's problem with road rage as a reason against it.

"Fearing for the other drivers…please…" Kim snorted and tossed over to her other side in the bed. The very smell of her lover bothered her, and kept her awake. She needed Shego like she needed air.

And right then she felt like she was suffocating.

-------------------

Shego ignored Drakken's eager stares and pathetic attempts to arouse her anger again.

"You know Shego…I never understood what you see in that little whore. What is it? Can't be her cup size, and she has virtually no ass…"

Shego silently drew herself to her feet, and for once, stood as tall as possible as she walked over to the wall Drakken was bothering her from.

"It's because she cares. She cares about me for who I am. Hell, if I remember, you _left_ me behind when your lab caved in. She saved my life. What did you do? Not even a phone call. And you wonder why I left." She spit as she spoke. The bastard would deserve what she had planned. He deserved every last thing she could throw at him and more.

"Shego, that's no way to treat the man who took you in, gave you a job, even put up with having his life threatened over his schemes."

"Lipsky, hell is too good for you." And with that she turned and walked off. It was silly to do in the confines of the cell, but it was better than nothing.

The doctor smiled, "You'll be singing a different tune. Soon your defiant, traitorous ass will be stretched into infinite singularity along with Kim Possible."

"Doc, as romantic as that ending sounds, I have one of my own. And in it, I'm not the one who dies."

"Is that a plea for you're life? A promise to destroy that whore you love?"

"No, it's a promise to kill you."

Drakken shook his head, "Now Shego, don't go spoiling the fun. It just wouldn't be sporting."

-------------------

Kim rolled over again. The clock hadn't changed from her last check. With a grunt she rolled over onto her favored side and tried to sleep.

Sleep wasn't coming though. She was wired with anticipation. Her body felt like it did after her first mission. She felt invincible against whatever could be thrown against her. She felt like she could take on the world by herself and win.

Yes…she wasn't going to stop for Drakken. She was going to get Shego back.

Kim rolled out of bed and padded over to the closet, retrieving a shoebox off of the shelf. She smiled as she saw the warning label written in Shego's neat script. The woman didn't even question what was in the box and had just written the label on there as a reminder for herself.

"Kimmie's private things! Do Not Touch!" She ran her fingers over the words before opening it, and dropping the lid to the floor. Yes, it was still there. The soft material unfolded in her hand as she pulled it out of the box. Yes…it was still in perfect condition.

The box gently tumbled out of her fingers as she gripped the outfit and fought with her memories.

She had saved the uniform from when she had been put under mind control for the first time. She had never told anyone of its existence, but she had a feeling that Shego knew.

Shego always seemed to know everything.

Kim sighed and pulled off her clothes, then her underclothes. The suit was too form fitting to wear the under clothes with it. It slid on with great ease, and she close the zipper before folding the Velcro flap over it. She sat down on the floor and pulled on the soft soled boots. They still fit perfectly. Finally came the ankle pouch. Yes…Drakken would have one final reason to fear the suit before he died. To fear the mess of green and black.

To fear was it stood for. And to fear the women who had worn the colors into battle.

Kim was sure that the boys heard her coming before they saw her come down the stairs. It was alright, she wanted it to be that way. She wanted the world to know she was coming to knock on its door.

And then coming to shove her boot in its face when it answered.

"Josh…you told me there was a chat room on there…can you get it online?"

"Not without some kind of account…"

Kim raised her voice a little, "Wade?"

"Yes Kim?"

"You heard him…we need an account."

"On it…..Done. You're now Flame. Password is swordfish."

"You've always wanted to say that didn't you?" Ron leaned around Josh to look at the small display on the Kimmunicator.

Wade grinned on the small screen, "Hasn't everyone?"

"Wade…you rock. And I mean that. Remember that if something goes wrong."

The room got quiet. No one wanted to admit it that something could go wrong. No one ever did.

-------------------

Username: Flame

Password:

….

….

Identification confirmed.

Dialing….

….

…

--Connection Established--

Flame: I know there has to be someone out there.

Villainous Code: Oh my…are you..?

Cuddly Mutation: It couldn't be her! She doesn't have access to the network.

Flame: Who…Kim Possible? I am, and I do.

Ancient Mojo: Oh my…that makes no sense…what is a hero such as you doing here?

Flame: Making it known that Drakken is mine. His ass is mine. His life? Mine. His death? Mine. And if any of you ever try this shit on me, I'll do the same damn thing to you. Got it?

Villainous Code: I believe we do Miss Possible. Now what exactly did he do?

Flame: He kidnapped my girlfriend, messed with my best friend, and generally just fucked up.

Ancient Mojo: Oh my…

Ancient Mojo: I think my crumpets are burning…

Ancient Mojo has disconnected

Cuddly Mutation: He messed with your love life? That is so mean.

Flame: Not as mean as I am going to be to him.

--Connection Terminated--

-------------------

Kim let the two boys stare at the computer screen in fear. They had seen what Kim had said, and still weren't sure they wanted to believe it.

"Kim….you can't kill Drakken…" Ron was worried. His friend had changed. She had been angry before, but this was beyond anything he had ever seen.

"Why in the hell not? He wants to kill me! It's called self-defense Ron! I can't keep running from him, hoping that he'll stop. He's trying to kill me, you, Josh, and Shego. Not to mention take over the world. He should have died a long time ago."

Ron flinched at her voice and didn't argue with the red head. He knew better. Her tone of voice said it all. Arguing with her would be like fighting a volcano. Very foolish and very dangerous.

"Look….the ride will be here in two hours…you can catch it…I'm taking the car."

"Kim, you can't take the car."

"Josh, if you're hiding the keys, hand them over before I turn your world upside down looking for them. I'm not in the mood for games right now. Ron's boyfriend or not, I will not mind getting aggressive right about now."

"But will Shego?" Josh's words were like an arrow as he spoke.

Kim faltered slightly, "She would…but then again she'd be doing the same thing for me." Her grim face slid back in taking over for her softer one that had revealed itself at Josh's words.

Josh silently handed the keys over to the red head, making a silent prayer for anyone else on the road.

Snatching up the keys and Kimmunicator she was gone.

-------------------

Author's Notes: Are we seeing the rise of a darker Kim? Is Drakken going to succeed? And with all of these promises of death going around, who, if anyone is going to die?


	8. Blood, Sweat and Tears

Kim was amazed that she had made it one piece. To avoid any police, or anything else that could slow her down she took back roads, and even a couple of logging roads.

But between the potholes and the deer dodging she was lucky to make it to the gates of the community in one piece. Shego wasn't going to be pleased with the missing rear bumper, or the remains of the rear view mirrors on the sides, but she'd forgive her eventually.

She parked the car outside the gate and started walking. Once past the gates it would be more dangerous to be in the vehicle, than outside of it. Especially in an area crawling with villains galore. With all of the possible death rays, missiles, and various other weapons of anti-hero design that could be inside the community a car was more of a bother than help.

It had taken some foot work -and a lot of sneaking- but she was getting closer to the target house when she heard the sound of an air-raid siren.

She stopped and looked around; swearing under her breath, as she realized a woman in a window of a near-by home had spotted her. It was inevitable to happen being a red head in a green and black cat suit had made it a gamble. It was a gamble she wanted to take though.

And it looked like she had tossed the dice and lost.

Kim cursed again, louder this time, and started to run. She was too close. She could feel Shego. Hear her voice, feel her sweet breathe on her neck…

The moment was broken as she saw the results of her failed gambit. She let loose another curse as bodies started to come out of their homes and into the street.

They had prepared for heroes on their turf. It was bound to happen in a world where everything from bounty hunters to Girl Scouts took on the bad guys. So they had a contingency plan for such an occasion. But their contingency plan hadn't prepared them for Kim Possible.

She could see the house. It was so close, but so far away as the mob encircled her. A couple of the braver members rushed her, but she pushed herself off into the air into a split kick, rotating her body into spin and driving her feet into their jaws. More people started to come forward. There were more of them, than of her, and though some would be injured, it was assured they would beat her. They had the numbers to wear her down. Wear her out. To stop her cold.

As an icy feeling crept over Kim she frowned, she knew couldn't beat everyone. She was good, but not good enough to take on an entire mob. But she would make them pay for stopping her.

Several members of the mob seemed to sense that she was uneasy, and crept forward.

It was at that moment is she was possessed. Shego needed her. She needed Shego. Shego was her other half, and her soul was crying out to be whole.

And may God have mercy on the idiots who got in her way.

"Fucking bunch of douches," Kim gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, causing her fingernails to bite into her palms and her knuckles to crack. "You think I'm that weak?" Then she sprung.

To those who saw her move it was as if she was a fire ball followed by a green and black streak as she drove her knuckles into one of the men who had crept forward. She could feel his teeth cave in before she drew back and spun around.

There were three challengers now.

Her elbow found a woman's throat, and then there were two.

A man's unguarded knee made one.

The last man rushed at her, determined to hurt her first. She sidestepped as he swung wildly and brought her forearm into his neck, clothes lining him.

That left no more challengers.

That meant she needed to take the offensive. Needed to work hard and fast. Needed to make it to Shego. Needed to make it to her other half.

_Please be alright…_

Kim was working fast as she could, crushing feet, kicking knees, breaking arms, anything to cut a path. But the more she took out, the more surged to fill in the gaps.

A baseball bat clipped her shoulder and she was nearly hit with a punch that followed it. The bat whizzed by her head as she rolled back, using the punch to knock her to safety. She was losing ground now. Ground that was worth very drop of blood she had spilt for it.

The bat came by again as the woman recovered from her last wild swing. She was rushing it. Not waiting for the right moment to assault. Kim stepped in and caught the bat with her upper arm. She winced and wrapped her forearm around it, trapping the weapon.

Her free arm cocked backed and fired, freeing the attacker's mouth for a new set of dentures.

Kim dropped the bat, her sides heaving a little, sweat threatening to drip into her eyes. She couldn't hold out much longer. She needed Shego…needed the woman's strength, her confidence, the gentle support she gave Kim when she was in battle.

-------------------

Ron could feel it. A churning inside. A need to get to Kim faster.

He looked at the clock…still to long.

"Mr. Gooding…I'm sorry to ask, but can we go faster?"

The old man smiled, "Ronald, this old man was hoping you'd say that." The speedometer was rising. Eighty….Ninety…and held steady at ninety-five. "After all, I used to be the best Indy driver in the fifties." The smile on his face was full of pride. He still had it. He still knew how to swap paint with the best, and now was his chance to live it again.

Ron looked at Josh. Words weren't needed. The boy's brow scrunched up as he preformed some quick number crunching in his head, "Ten minutes…let's hope she's alright."

Ron nodded and rubbed the design on his forearm. Yes…Kim needed his help. And monkey magic or not, he was going to bring it. He stopped, realizing he was chewing his lip again. _Why do I keep picking up other people's bad habits?_

A gentle hand on his shoulder scattered his thoughts. He looked up and saw Josh's face. The gentle features had a foreign toughed look to them. A hardness that said that the boy was ready.

But he still had the gentle eyes. Ron smiled despite his worry. If nothing else Josh's gentle soul would always stay the same.

_Alright Josh…I'm ready. If you can be ready, so can I._

-------------------

Sweat was poured down her brow, and causing her to squint as it dripped into her eyes. It was taking everything she had to avoid the ring of death that was around her. It wasn't about fighting through the mob anymore, it was about survival. A low kick caught her knee and caused it to buckle, but she forced herself back up.

_Can't let myself drop. Can't give them an opportunity to get me…_

She wasn't going down. She had come too far to die yet.

_Save Shego._

She paused for a moment. She didn't know where the thought had come from, but it felt like a whisper rippling through her.

_Get to Shego and save her._

_Get to her…she needs you._

_Get up and move!_

Inside of Kim it was as if all of the lost energy was pouring back into her tired and aching body. Fatigue washed away as she felt her sore muscles ripple with excitement.

_Get up…Get to Shego._

_She needs you. She needs you now!_

She was Kim Possible. She was a force of nature in human form.

_GO!_

She was Hell on earth.

_Shego…I'm coming…_

It was as if she was invincible.

_I'm not going to let you die…_

It was all flooding in again. That feeling, that very same energy that possessed her when she was in a clutch. All of it was washing over her. Energizing her to move.

_I'm not going to let myself die…I…I love you damn it…_

She had taken on waves of minions before.

_And I'm not going to lose you to that blue bastard!_

She had fought Shego to a stand still on dozens of occasions.

_So just hang on…_

This mob wasn't anything to her.

_Hang on for me…_

She ducked under a poorly aimed punch and drove her foot into the man's face.

_Because I'm coming for you…_

Rage was building inside of her. The blood was boiling in her veins as it pumped faster. Adrenaline was in high gear now.

"You have any idea who you punks are fucking with?"

_A bunch of fucking morons can't stop me Shego…_

She could feel the murmur as she rolled to the side and came to a stop, kneeling. A powerful slam of her elbow and woman dropped, holding her groin in pain.

"I am hell _incarnate_! I am the _worst fear_ you have in the _flesh_! I am Kim-_fucking_-Possible! And I'm not going down for a bunch of fucking two bit thugs!"

A few people shifted uncomfortably as they regarded her. They knew Kim Possible of as a sane teenager with a knack for saving the world.

What they saw was a beast of a person who wanted to tear their throats out and drink their blood.

Kim wasn't going to wait for the truth of which she was to be decided amongst the mob, and drove a foot into another person's face. He crumpled as the blood poured out.

Fear was powerful. It had the power to drive away the demons in the night, or bring them in stronger than ever. It was that very power whipping through the crowd. Fear of a red headed teenager. Fear of being too weak to save someone important.

Fear of losing.

At that moment fear itself had brought those demons in full force into the minds of the masses.

Those demons didn't just come for the villains that were still standing. No, but for Kim as well. Demons that tried to tell her that she was too late. Demons that tried to tell her that she was too weak. Even demons that tried to dig out the fear of death in her.

Demons that drove her forward. Pushed her harder as she fought against them not in her mind but with each blow she landed. It was as if they were a rider whipping her like their horse. Assaulting her with her fears, her fears that she fought off by forcing herself forward despite them.

Each blow she landed until her juggernaut like rage came to a stop as her fist crashed into a wall of a man.

She looked up glared him in the eye, "Buddy, I level mountains like you for fun. You're just another big guy to knock down in my book." She was closer now…it was the next house down…she just needed to reach that.

_Almost there…Damn it…Shego if your not alright I'm going to so have to kick your ass._

The man grinned and cracked his knuckles. He was going to have fun himself. He knew tough talk, and he knew a tough walk. He had seen one, and now wanted to see the other.

-------------------

The car rolled to the stop next to what Ron was sure had been Shego's car. Minus a bumper, mirrors, and a good amount of paint.

"Thanks a lot Mr. Gooding!" He practically leapt out of the car. He could see the chaos unfolding as something with red hair was taking on a man mountain, and losing.

"Anything to help Ronald…you boys be safe, alright?"

Josh grinned as he got out of the car after Ron, "No problem Mr. Gooding. After all it's just a little boyish rough housing."

Mr. Gooding shook his head as he drove off. _Kids these days._

Ron nodded, "Ready Josh?"

Josh nodded and they raced over to where the mob filled the main street of the community.

Josh was by no means a violent person. He abhorred it under most circumstances, but right now, he didn't care. The boy was helping the people he cared about. And that's what mattered. He tapped one thug on the shoulder, and as the brute turned, Josh railed his fist into him.

The man was down, and toppled into a woman.

_Direct hit!_ Josh smirked to himself in pride.

Attention. That's what he wanted, and that's what he got. The plan had become surprisingly simple. Draw attention and hope Kim could make it. The plan was working. The people didn't care who he was, or what plan he was following. He was an intruder picking a fight. It was a fight he was going to get.

The masses had come for blood, and it didn't matter if it was Kim Possible's or some stranger's. Either one was good enough for them.

------------------

Normally Ron would approach things more casually is his attempt to gain attention. He was a distraction by design, but even distractions don't want to be outnumbered in a fight. Things were different. The rules were being broken as he gave one loud, "HEY! YEAH, YOU! THE STUPID PRICK!"_ Insults. Simple, and always very effective as a head turner. _Ron smirked to himself.

His smirk broadened as several heads turned to look at him. Settling down into a defensive posture he sized up his opponents. He had been picked as the Chosen One for a reason. And he was going to show these goons why, monkey magic or not.

After all just because he didn't _have_ monkey magic anymore, but it didn't mean he didn't know how to kick butt.

------------------

A woman lunged at Josh, but missed, her fist just missing his head. He could see the path before the fist made it. _Always three moves ahead. _He was reading his opponent's body language, their eyes, even how they breathed as they moved. It was like a dangerous game of chess as he drove his knee into the woman's stomach. He forced himself not to wince as she dropped. _Don't think about how much that had to hurt and focus. Three moves._

Hitting a woman was never a plus in his book. But extreme times meant extreme measures.

"Checkmate." Josh tried not to grin at his own bad joke.

A couple men groaned at the bad chess reference and stepped up to face him. _It's just like two games at once. We used to do it all the time. Clear your mind and move our body Josh. We're doing good, and there is no point in stopping now._

Josh paused and frowned at himself, he was doing it again. Thinking in plural. He could deal with that later though. What was important was the now, and what would be coming not the then. He had to continue to focus, to keep his mind trained in out thinking his opponent.

_Forget the fact we're working on too many levels. Forget the fact that we're probably border line crazy. Three moves… three moves or more. We can't lose our focus now._

-------------------

Kim ducked under the massive hand and drove her fist into the man's jaw. He shrugged off the blow as soon as the punch connected.

_Get to Shego…I need to get to Shego…Damn it…I don't have time to fight this guy _

She was losing speed and confidence now. There wasn't time spare as she danced outside of another massive fist. It was now or never.

_I got to time it right…Wait….NOW!_

She used his arm as a vault, driving both feet into his face.

His body followed his head and he dropped, bouncing slightly as it hit the asphalt. Several people were terrified by seeing the massive body drop, but no one was backing down. They had numbers.

_Alright…one down…a hundred to go…Shego I'm coming!_

_You better hang on damn it…because I'm coming!_

_And I'm going to be pissed if you're not okay._

Kim had herself. It was all she needed to fight them.

But to win she find had something more powerful than their blood lust. Something more powerful than the odds against her. She winced as a knife grazer her arm.

Then as the moment of pain faded it clicked. It was something simple, but sweet. But its complexity was beyond the measure of understanding.

Her battle hardened self softened a bit as she let the love that she felt for Shego flow. No limits, no censoring it now. Just a pure solid flow.

_Hell…I'll even let you pick movies for a month…just be okay…_

-------------------

Ron weaved and drove his palm up and into a man's jaw. He staggered back slightly, before collapsing.

"Boo-yah, my funky bitches!" He smiled as he said it. Despite the situation, he was having fun. "Now if we get some music blaring we could have a true mosh pit going!"

He wasn't as powerful as he had been with the monkey magic, but he still was holding his own.

_Alright Ron…we got to stay focused…it's all fun and games until we get our arms broken…Wait…why I thinking in plural?_

_Never mind….I'm good now…Scary Collective thinking moment is gone…got to focus…_

A familiar sensation was creeping over him again. He frowned and drove his foot into an unprotected knee. Fighting was becoming effortless again. His senses were focusing. The sensations were like that of the monkey magic.

Then the loss of self hit again. He could feel himself on the receiving end of his own foot cracking down into a woman's neck as she tried to jab his leg with a knife.

He could feel his feet pressing down on himself as he shifted his weight. He was the ground. The mob. The air.

_Wait…I know this feeling…The feeling of my mind connecting to everything at once…_

But this time, it felt right.

His pride wasn't in it this time.

There was not anger, nor joy, nor sorrow now. Nothing but a blissfully-simple peace creeping over him. He was fighting himself now as the magic pulled him to be every view point at once, but he pulled back gently, focusing his consciousness back into his own point of view.

Every strike, every block, every dodge, all compelled him to become one with his enemy to understand them, to end the fight peacefully. And every single movement was countered with his own conscious effort to be Ron.

To keep from splitting into being everyone.

It would be too easy to be everyone at once. To let the magic pull his mind in a thousand directions at once.

He couldn't do that though.

To do that would destroy the plan.

To destroy the plan would betray Kim.

And to betray Kim would be bad.

Like mutant carnivorous bunny bad.

-------------------

Josh staggered as a fist hit his stomach. It was a risk to take the hit. A carefully calculated one, but still it was a risk.

_Sweet Jesus…let's just hope that wasn't our kidney…_

He forced himself not to double over. He took a direct punch, but the fact that he was standing didn't just intimidate his opponent. No, rather it made Josh look stronger.

Josh smirked as he coiled up and swung.

-------------------

Kim was closer now. She just needed to reach the door.

_Almost there…_

_Need to find Shego…_

_Need to save Shego…_

_Need to end this…_

The breathing echoing in her ears was as foreign to her as the heartbeat pounding in her ears. The echo of her feet connecting to the pavement with each step, each attempt to get a little farther, sounded like someone else's.

She was more than herself. She was Kim…She was Shego…She was one being trying to save it's other half.

Then she wasn't Kim Possible anymore.

That part of her was gone. Her feelings compassion and gentle nature was brushed aside by a darker part of her self and left behind in the road.

A darker part of herself that just wanted to keep Shego safe from harm…to end the conflict forever.

A darker self that was Kim, but at the same time wasn't. It was hurt. It was angry. It wanted to tear Drakken's arms off and beat him with the wet ends.

The darker self was urging Kim's body onward, forcing its legs to go faster. It would get to Shego. It would save Shego. And it would make sure Drakken would pay for what he had done.

Even if it meant killing the man in cold-blood. Morals and laws didn't apply anymore.

Not after what he had done.

And not until after what it was going to do.

-------------------

Ron didn't even notice the bracer fall off of his arm. It wasn't important anyways. In the back of his mind he heard it crunch as a heavy set man landed on top of it. Broken ivory was all that was left. But it wasn't important. Even the very power inside of him wasn't important. He could care less about being the balance of the universe. He could care less about the benefits of being the Chosen One. It wasn't important.

What was important was that Kim had made it to the house.

The fact that Shego had a chance to be saved was even more important.

The realization that his mind was fighting with itself to become the very universe was important.

_Okay, I was wrong. I don't want monkey magic. I don't need it. And I'm not going to keep it if it means losing myself to being one with everything._

He made a quick side kick and felt a thug's knee give out. Drawing his leg back he made a half turn and dropped it as hard has he could onto an available foot. A man howled in pain as the blow connected.

The crunch was audible to everyone but Ron. He didn't need to hear anything to know where his targets were. He didn't need to see them either.

It was like being a stick and being set loose in a piñata factory. Every blow connected, every strike counted.

It was getting harder to see who he was anymore though. His mind kept drifting out, sometimes switching sides for a moment, and he'd drive a fist or a foot into his own body.

His body was beyond sore. But that wasn't important either.

His muscles were on fire. But he could deal with that later. He could let himself pass out later.

The scream was ignored as Ron pushed off with that foot, and spun, driving the deadly appendage into woman's head.

He didn't even regret it as she dropped. The woman had challenged him. It was pure and simple. Or as simple as it could be when you were everybody else and yourself all at once.

_I just want a simple life…No more monkey magic…no more Chosen One…Just make it stop!_

-------------------

Josh was sweating heavily. The number standing had thinned considerably since they had gotten there. And from the look of the injured laying in the street, it had been thinned considerably before they had gotten there.

The problem was he wasn't sure he had enough will power to keep it up. He was a man of the mind, and even taking care of toddlers didn't give him the stamina to participate in a brawl, much less one that raged of for over an hour.

He was proud of himself for lasting as long as he had. Then a hit connected with his face.

-------------------

Ron could feel Josh drop. He wasn't sure how, but he knew his lover had fallen. It was confusing for a moment as he realized he hadn't tried to become Josh as he had everything else.

He could worry about that later.

There was just one thing that was important now.

And that was that he had to protect Josh. Now. He needed to make sure that no one ever laid a hand on his love ever again.

-------------------

Author's Notes: And Chapter Eight ends on a cliffhanger…don't hate me for it! Especially after giving you way too many pages eleven and a half of them in Word! of people kicking the crud out of each other, not to mention the weird fluffy bits. I think this chapter out classes everything else I've written prior to now. Thank Failte for that and GO READ HIS WORK! NOW! GO!

And review it too damn it!


	9. Broken

The doorknob turned easily and Kim prepared to ram it in as she felt the door stop.

_A dead bolt?_

Then the house was simply gone.

------------------

Ron paused in mid-step and turned. The house was going up in a burst of green light. Bits of wood, plaster and shingles were raining down everywhere.

_Quit gawking and move!_

He pushed off of the balls of his feet, throwing himself into a roll, avoiding a chunk of wall that landed where he was. What was left of the mob scattered as the objects rained down on them. It wasn't about the blood anymore. It was about staying alive.

Ron made himself a human shield as he covered the unconscious form of Josh.

_Thank God…you're okay._

-------------------

-Ten Minutes Ago-

Shego paced her cage. She had forced herself to not expend any energy for almost two days. It was now or never.

"Ahhh…Shego, I have wonderful news! We can toss you into that black hole VERY soon! It seems your slut of a girlfriend is on her way!"

Shego gritted her teeth, yes it was time. The energy started at her fingertips and spread like a fire over her body.

Drakken felt himself becoming very worried.

The energy was spreading outward now, until a green glow was filling the cell, pressing against all of the sides at once.

The energy set off the feedback, kicking it into Shego, who collapsed, the glow shutting off as wisps of smoke rose from her body.

_Fucking…feedback…._

"Ha! You're pathetic. Trying to escape my perfectly built cell, seriously, what is wrong with you?" Drakken was smug.

_Need to escape…need to find….Kimmie_

The smirk on his face disappeared as Shego began to rise to her feet. She was shaking bad, but she made it to her feet.

_Errrgggg…._Her body rocked but she stayed up. Her mind was burning from the shock of the feedback.

"What's wrong with me? Nothing's wrong…with me…" Shego growled as she rocked back and forth on her feet, trying to keep her balance, "How about…you?"

_Let's…show this bastard why you don't mess with me…_

The glow was back, and spread out again, faster this time. The rippling motion of the material paused as it reacted, trying to feed the energy back.

Her mind screamed in pain, the energy ripping across her neurons.

The glow disappeared again, but Shego said on her feet, more smoke rolling off of her now. Her pajamas where becoming heavily singed by the energy flowing through them.

_Gotta….try…again…Almost….had…it_

Drakken started to turn as it happened.

_Cocky…bastard…_

The glow exploded out of Shego's body, the walls of the cell exploding outward. The glow expanded rapidly from there, hitting the walls of the room, and spreading upward.

_This one…is for you Kimmie…_

The pressure was building now, the walls creaking from the force against them.

And then they gave.

The ceiling started to fall, its support gone.

Then suddenly everything was bright green.

_I…Love…You…_

------------------

Kim forced the door off of her, and tried to blink the spots out of her eyes. The explosion had spread bits of the house everywhere. The only good news Kim could think of as she looked around was that there weren't any body parts strewn about.

_Damn it Shego…what happened? You…You were supposed to be alright…_

Her body staggered slowly towards the crater that once housed the basement that supported the house. Her eyes looked around trying to find some sign of Shego.

Something that said the woman was alright.

Something that denied the thoughts of the woman's death.

_Why couldn't it have just been a minute or two later? Or why couldn't I been a little sooner…something…so that at least we'd died together._

Her breath stopped in her throat as she saw the half naked body of her lover lying on what looked like the remains of a wall.

She wasn't staggering anymore.

She was flying. Legs pumping as she ran towards the edge of the crater. Her body in the air as she pushed off the edge, legs still pumping furiously, and landing in the pit.

Her heart pounded as she raced over to the body.

_Shego…please…for me…be okay…_

------------------

_That is going to leave a mark._ Ron groaned as he sat up, debris slidinging off of his body.

The unconscious form that had been beneath him was untouched though.

A small smile made its way onto his face.

Josh was alright…any amount of pain was worth that.

------------------

A/N: Short Chapter to give you the duality of the situation, and set us up for the final chapter. Don't lynch me because of its shortness. It can't be helped. It this was part of Eight, then Eight would have too much in it, and if it was part of Ten then Ten wouldn't stay consistent. So it is its own chapter.

Next Chapter: The After Math of it all.


	10. Loving Souls

Josh opened to door to Ron's room slowly. Everything had come to a head a month ago in that community. But now things were slowly returning to normal again.

Or as normal as things could be anymore.

"Ron..? You awake? Your mother let me in."

Ron's arm waved weakly from where he lay on his bed, "Yeah…I'm up."

Josh plopped down in the chair next to the desk. He was too exhausted from work to settle down, and let his arms hang limply over the sides, "Any news on Shego?"

"Nothing more than the doctors aren't sure if she'll improve or not. Even Mrs. Possible is having her doubts on if she'll improve or not. We all know she's able to heal quickly, but no one is sure if she can repair the destroyed brain tissue or not."

Josh nodded, "Kim is still visiting her though, right?"

"Everyday to the point the staff is offering to let her have the other bed in the room. It's tearing everybody up to see Kim so attached to someone like this. Someone who's so helpless…"

Josh decided to change the subject, "What about you? What's the word?"

Ron half-rolled over, "This Chosen One thing has it's uses…I get "access" to things that no one knows…thing that are kept as secrets among secrets…It's actually hard to explain…" He paused and forced himself to continue. The next part wouldn't be easier to say, "It…it seems I'm the Chosen One to influence the fate of the world to counter some sort of end-days thing. I'm not the first though…every generation has one…and apparently male or female we're all very similar. We all have different cultures, names, races, religions, even genders, but personality wise we're identical."

"Whoa…"

Ron nodded at Josh's surprise, "Good news is I'm just a precaution. It seems that they aren't sure when the end-days are, so a Chosen One is found every generation to guard that generation. I'm just the lucky candidate who fit the bill."

Josh couldn't help but feel impressed, "So…how are you identical to every other Chosen One before you, save for a few minor things, like culture?"

Ron traced cryptic designs in the air, "I'm a carbon copy in a way. It seems that every Chosen One is just a new body harboring an old soul. I'm not the only person who has this happening to them. A large number people on this planet face the same thing. Each of us has a very special role that our souls agree to, and we continue to perform it from one life to the next.

"Though, that cycle was recently broken by Shego's change of sides."

Josh held up a hand, gesturing Ron to stop, "Wait, Shego?"

Ron nodded, "Shego, Kim, me, you…Hell, millions of people are all specially assigned souls."

"..Me?"

Ron nodded.

"Whoa. I mean….whoa…"

Ron smiled, "My thoughts exactly. I knew you were special…but this is a whole new level of special…"

There was a small pause as Josh's mind ran in circles trying to understand it. "Can you explain the whole you-me and Kim-Shego thing…? I'm lost on the 'we're old souls with new bodies' thing…"

Ron nodded slowly, "I can try… You see…Well you and I are a pretty simple one…I'm the very essence of emotion as a soul, and you are the very essence of logic. We can work well by ourselves, but together we're invincible..." He paused for a moment, trying not to get caught up in the moment.

"Some lives we were together, others we weren't. It's all luck of the draw," He paused again as Josh looked hurt. He hadn't meant to be so casual about it. He mentally kicked himself before continuing.

"Kim and Shego are a bit more…complex. Their souls love each other in a way I can't even describe, but they agreed to be on the opposite sides. The world needs a hero, and Kim's soul is fated to be that hero, every single life time. On the other end of the spectrum Shego's soul walks the painful road as Kim's rival, pushing Kim to the level she needs to be to be what she is. Heroes aren't allowed to be weak…and Shego was a way to make sure that Kim wasn't." His voice was choking up now.

"But…from what I understand…Shego's soul couldn't keep it up. The soul needed it's mate…it's other half…it's yang…and obviously this mess is because of it…"

Josh got up slowly, his body trembling. He clutched onto the boy on the bed and let it go. The tears were flowing now everything came down on him. He was beginning to understand it finally, but in the end, he didn't. It's beautiful complexity was stunning, and enchanting. And it didn't matter that he didn't understand it all.

Because he had Ron. He had his other half, and that was what was important to him.

------------------

Kim waved politely to the nurses at their station. It was getting to the point that it didn't matter what time she came in, they just let her in all the same. Just like she worked there, or was a patient returning to her room.

The walk down the hall before the visit was always a hard one for her. The wondering if today would be different, the hope that things had improved since her last visit.

She quietly entered the room.

"Hey Princess…" The woman on the bed said weakly. Shego… But she wasn't Shego though. Not anymore. The woman was fragments of Shego.

Fragments of Kim's other half.

But her soul was still the same. Even without everything she had used to be, Shego in a lot of ways was still the same person.

Still had that same loving look when Kim was around…still called her Princess…still held her close at night…and still tucker her in when she fell asleep on the other bed…Little things…things that most people wouldn't notice…But Kim did.

"Hey…How're you doing?" Kim tired to smile, the tears already welling up from inside of her.

The woman who had been Shego smiled, "Good…better now that you're here. You're so nice to me… Visiting everyday…everyday since you saved me…and I can't forget it. I can't even get you out of my mind. I close my eyes and you're right there, with that same worried look on your face that you had when you found me."

Kim swallowed, "Really?" It was getting harder not to tear up as the woman talked.

The woman nodded, "And then…sometimes I see that smile that you had when you realized I was breathing."

Her eyes were watering now.

_Damn it…I won't cry…I need to be strong for Shego…_

The woman wasn't on the bed anymore. Skinny green arms had snaked around Kim, holding her close.

"Why- Why are you hugging me? I…I don't deserve it…It was my fault you were hurt…" Kim sniffled as she spoke, trying not to cry.

The woman smiled, "Because it hurts me to see that lip start to tremble…to see tears in those beautiful green eyes. And if it means freezing my half-naked butt off to make you feel better, damn it, I'll do it! Besides…You deserve it more than I deserve your kindness…I hear the talk…the talk of what people say I used to be a long time ago…You redeemed my soul…I've been saved twice by you…"

Kim smiled despite the small trickle of tears that were rolling down her cheeks. The woman was sweet…honest…She still smelled the same too…the same gentle fragrance that matched the same exotic look that she had.

_Still Shego…but not…Everything I love….but without that same teasingly enticing personality…Or is it still there…in a different form? She's the same in a lot of ways…It's hard to say…So hard to know…_

She looked up to see gentle eyes looking down at her. Her lip trembled again. It was too much…too much to see the woman she loved like this.

To see her missing so much but still be so loving. So caring…so beautiful…like a lost angel…

Soft lips were entangled in hers. It was warm, and familiar on a level that Kim didn't know existed until just then.

And it ended just as quickly as it began.

"Why…?" Kim was confused. A woman, who hardly knew her, yet was so loving.

"Because it felt like the right thing to cheer you up. Besides…I thought people kissed people they care about. But then again…I only get "soaps" on television…Very weird things…" The woman stopped, realized she was rambling.

Kim's mouth moved, but no sound was coming out.

"I know…I know I hardly know you…even though you know me….but is it alright…that I'm in love with you anyways?" The woman hard a worried look in her eyes. It was as if she was afraid of the answer.

_She probably is afraid of the answer, _Kim corrected herself. _She's not the same fearless Shego I knew…but….but that's okay…she's still the same woman I love._

"Yes…But only if I can love you too."

Their lips met. The passion was the same as always, the intensity matched that of the same kind of intensity that they had when they had first fallen in love.

But the dance was different now. It was more special to both of them then they could realize. And inside of them, their souls sighed softly, as they were put back together again.

It might only last for a lifetime, but it made of for the ages they had spent apart. And that in itself was worth more than anything words can say.

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A/N: And the last chapter is short, and open ended. Even though it's sad. Read or Die the OVA series inspired the last chapter, so you can direct your hate mail to the creators of it. I know it's a sad ending to the Trilogy, but it leaves possibility for things to get better for Kim and…the woman who –was- Shego.

I know I didn't touch on what happened to Drakken. Why? Because I'm not sure what happened to him myself. I actual hope he died in that explosion.

Either way I hope you enjoyed the story, and that you continue to read my work as I hopefully continue to improve!


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